The Development of Photography
Photography became commercially practical in 1839, when Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre introduced his revolutionary process in France. For the first time, ordinary people could obtain remarkably accurate likenesses without commissioning an artist.
Over the following sixty years, photography underwent a succession of technological changes. Fragile, expensive metal and glass images gradually gave way to affordable paper prints that could be reproduced in large quantities. By the end of the century, roll film and increasingly portable cameras had brought photography within reach of millions.
For collectors, these developments provide valuable clues to a photograph's age, although the periods of use frequently overlap.
Principal 19th-Century Photographic Processes
1. Daguerreotype (1839–c. 1860)
The daguerreotype, introduced in 1839, creates a unique photographic image on a polished, silver-plated copper sheet. It enjoyed its greatest popularity during the 1840s and 1850s.
Identification: Its most distinctive feature is a highly reflective, mirror-like surface. Depending on the viewing angle, the image may appear positive, negative, or nearly invisible. Daguerreotypes were commonly housed behind glass in small hinged cases.
The process produced extraordinary detail but was comparatively expensive, and every photograph was a unique original. Its commercial popularity declined rapidly in the late 1850s.
2. Ambrotype (c. 1854–1870)
Developed from the wet-plate collodion process, the ambrotype became particularly popular between approximately 1855 and 1865. James Ambrose Cutting patented an American version in 1854.
Identification: The image is carried on glass, with a dark backing that makes an underexposed negative appear positive. Unlike a daguerreotype, it lacks the distinctive silver mirror surface.
Ambrotypes often resemble daguerreotypes because both were commonly mounted in protective cases with decorative brass mats. Examination of the underlying material is the most reliable distinction.
3. Tintype or Ferrotype (c. 1856–1930s)
Tintypes and ferrotypes are two names for essentially the same photographic process. Despite the popular name, tintypes were made on thin sheets of iron coated with dark lacquer, not tin.
Introduced in the mid-1850s, the process was particularly popular during the Civil War and remained in use well into the twentieth century.
Identification: The image appears on a thin, dark metal sheet that may show bending, edge wear, or rust. A magnet can help identify the iron support, although it is not a conclusive test when the photograph remains in a case.
Tintypes were inexpensive, durable, and relatively quick to produce. They became favorites of itinerant photographers, soldiers, and later carnival and seaside portrait studios.
4. Salted Paper and Albumen Prints (1840s–1890s)
Paper photographs developed alongside the early metal processes. Salted paper prints appeared in the 1840s, usually displaying a matte surface with visible paper fibers.
Introduced in 1850, albumen printing employed egg white as a binder for light-sensitive silver salts. It became the dominant photographic printing process during much of the second half of the century.
Identification: Albumen prints usually exhibit fine detail, a slight sheen, and warm brown or purplish tones. They were frequently mounted on cardboard.
Unlike daguerreotypes and tintypes, paper photographs made from negatives could be reproduced in multiple copies. This fundamentally changed the economics of photography.
5. Cartes de Visite and Cabinet Cards (c. 1860–1900)
These were popular photographic formats rather than distinct photographic processes. Most early examples were albumen prints mounted on card stock.
The carte de visite, generally measuring about 2½ × 4 inches, became fashionable in the late 1850s and 1860s. Larger cabinet cards, commonly about 4¼ × 6½ inches, gained prominence from the late 1860s onward.
Cabinet cards remained popular through the 1890s and into the early twentieth century. Their card colors, decorative borders, and photographers' imprints offer valuable dating evidence.
6. Gelatin Silver Prints (1880s onward)
The development of gelatin dry-plate negatives and gelatin silver printing processes helped transform photography during the final decades of the nineteenth century. They reduced dependence on cumbersome wet-plate procedures and eventually became standard photographic technology.
Identification: Gelatin silver prints may be matte or glossy and often show neutral black-and-white tones, although some exhibit warmer coloration. Identification from appearance alone can be difficult because earlier photographic processes sometimes look similar.
Quick Identification and Dating Chart
Photographic type | Principal period | Primary identification clue |
|---|---|---|
Daguerreotype | 1839–1860 | Mirror-like silver surface on copper |
Ambrotype | 1854–1870 | Glass image with dark backing |
Tintype / Ferrotype | 1856–1930s | Photograph on thin, dark iron |
Salted paper print | 1840–1860 | Matte photographic paper, visible fibers |
Albumen print | 1850–1895 | Thin paper, often warm brown, slight sheen |
Carte de visite | 1860–1890 | Small photographic card |
Cabinet card | 1866–1900s | Larger mounted photographic card |
Gelatin silver print | 1880s onward | Paper photograph with gelatin emulsion |
Dates are approximate periods of common use, principally in the United States. Processes sometimes continued long after their peak popularity.
Practical Advice for Collectors
The first step in identifying an early photograph is to determine its physical support: metal, glass, or paper. This single observation often eliminates several possibilities. Next examine its surface characteristics, mounting, and any photographer's markings.
Photographs in small hinged cases are not necessarily daguerreotypes. Ambrotypes and early tintypes were presented in remarkably similar cases, sometimes making identification difficult without examining the plate itself.
Dating should also consider clothing, hairstyles, studio furniture, photographic props, and the construction of the mount. A photograph taken in 1880 may reproduce an earlier image, so the age of the photographic object does not necessarily establish the date of the original portrait.
Collectors should avoid dismantling sealed daguerreotypes or ambrotypes merely to identify them. Their surfaces can be exceptionally fragile, and disturbing original seals may cause permanent damage.
Ultimately, the photographic process establishes a useful date range, while the subject, mounting, and photographer's identification help narrow it.
References and Further Reading
Library of Congress, The Daguerreotype Medium.
Library of Congress, Ambrotypes and Tintypes.
National Archives, 19th Century Photographic Processes and Formats.
Northeast Document Conservation Center, Types of Photographs: Identification and Care.
George Eastman Museum, Photographic Processes Glossary.
